After almost losing his life on Father’s Day, man takes moment to thank those who saved him

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A man who nearly died after getting into trouble in waters off Kailua was reunited with the people who saved his life on Tuesday.

Officials said 56-year-old William Cosier was out kayaking on Father’s Day when his kayak flipped over at Kalama Beach.

Good Samaritans found Cosier unresponsive, floating in the ocean. They immediately brought him to shore and started CPR.

First responders got there a short time later and continued life-saving measures.

Paramedics were eventually able to get a pulse and transported him to a nearby hospital.

After a month since the incident, Cosier said he is happy to be alive — grateful for the efforts made by heroic bystanders, Honolulu Ocean Safety, the Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services.

“Without them, without all these people behind me, I would not be standing here today and I’m so grateful for everything that they did,” Cosier said.

While Cosier was able to express his thanks in this moment, the first responders and good Samaritans that responded that day were reminded of the impact they have on people’s lives every day.

“We don’t often get to see the results of our work so this is pretty special, and I think our crew is just trying to really take all this in,” said Brent Shimabukuro, a Honolulu EMS paramedic.

Following the incident, Cosier underwent surgery and has since recovered.

He is now back to living in Kailua with his wife.